According to Variety, Pierce Brosnan is looking to shake and stir expectations taking on the gritty role of a kidnapper who pulls a family apart in the indie thriller Butterfly on a Wheel.

Mike Barker will direct the pic, to be produced by Icon, Irish DreamTime and Infinity Feature Canada.

Icon Entertainment Intl. has snapped up world rights to the thriller, penned by William Morrissey.

The plot centers on a happy couple with a seemingly perfect life whose daughter is abducted. Over the course of a day, the kidnapper dismantles the family's lives with brutal efficiency.

Brosnan takes on the role of the Butterfly baddie after playing a hitman in the Weinstein Co.'s upcoming The Matador. Beau St. Clair -- a principal with Brosnan in Irish DreamTime -- explained that the actor is seeking darker roles following his successful Bond run.

A February start is skedded, with locations in Canada and Chicago. Producers said further cast will be unveiled in the coming weeks.